When Rohit Sharma walks out for the toss at The Oval on Wednesday, it will be the first time the Indian skipper will lead the Test side on foreign soil. Ever since taking over the reins from Virat Kohli, who stepped down as skipper after the away series defeat vs South Africa, Rohit has led India in six matches – two against Sri Lanka, four against Australia – and all were played at home. India managed to win four, tasted defeat on one occasion and drew a fixture. The World Test Championship final vs Australia will not only be the biggest Test of Rohit’s career but also a big test of his captaincy.
Rohit was for a long time seen as the messiah to end India’s title drought in ICC events. Especially after the success he enjoyed with Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League. He now stands one Test win away from not only ending the long wait but also adding a glorious feather to his captaincy hat. It hasn’t been a smooth ride for captain Rohit and injuries to key players has only made matters worse, across formats. Even the WTC final berth had its share of drama as New Zealand’s last-ball win over Sri Lanka in the Christchurch Test meant the 2-1 Border Gavaskar Trophy series scoreline was enough for the Rohit-led unit.
So far, results haven’t gone India’s way in big tournaments under Rohit as the side faced an early exit in the Asia Cup last year before the semi-final defeat to England in the 2022 T20 World Cup. Before focus shifts to the white ball and the upcoming 50-over World Cup in India later this year, the WTC final now presents an opportunity to wipe off the ‘bilateral bullies’ tag and add some ICC silverware to the cabinet.
‘I also want to win the championship…’
At the pre-match presser on Tuesday, captain Rohit spoke about his desire to “win championships" but doesn’t want to put needless pressure on himself by thinking too much about it.
“I have been given the job to take Indian cricket forward. For me, it’s the same to win as many games and championships. It will be nice to win some titles. But we don’t want to put too much pressure by thinking too much about it," Rohit told reporters at The Oval.
The 36-year-old, who will be playing his 50th Test for India from Wednesday, can downplay the task at hand in his typical nonchalant fashion but deep down even he would now what’s at stake and how a win here could well start something special in what are very crucial couple of years for the Indian cricket team.
Decisions, options and combinations
Since the home Test series vs Australia, Rohit has found himself in numerous situations where multiple options for the ideal combination has made decision making very difficult, and WTC final will be no different.
With the batting order sorted, India need to make some tough calls with regards to their bowling combination. Will it be R Ashwin? Will it be Ravindra Jadeja? Will it be both? Rohit continued to keep cards close to his chest on eve of the match but this is the biggest question he would try to find an answer for before the coin goes up for the toss.
It was cloudy at The Oval but the groundstaff has shaved off some grass off the playing surface, which now wears a brownish look. The second spot up for debate is the third seamer’s position. India have options in Shardul Thakur, who was the hero at this venue last time India played a Test here, Umesh Yadav and Jaydev Unadkat. Will they go for Shardul’s all-round skills or Umesh’s experience and pace or Unadkat’s surprise element?
No matter who they play or the combination they prefer as per the conditions, the Test is not just an important fixture for Rohit, the player and the captain, but for plenty of his teammates too. The likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara & R Ashwin are in their mid-30s and with no certainty on how the next World Test Championship cycle unfolds, a win here would mean a lot to the players who have played a crucial role in helping India dominate two back-to-back WTC editions.
As far as Rohit is concerned, this India vs Australia clash will be his biggest Test, which for sure will test his captaincy skills under pressure.
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